Michelle O’Neill rejects call to resign over Drumcree row

Saroj kumar

October 5, 2026


He called on O’Neill to “drop the bravado” and claimed she had shown “utter contempt” for the ministerial pledge of office.

Brett continued: “If you have been found to breach the ministerial code or the law, will you do the decent thing for once and resign as first minister?”

The first minister responded: “Catch yourself on, would be where I would start with that one.

“I’m going to continue to turn up for the people of the Garvaghy Road.

“I’m proud to stand with them and I will continue to stand with them.”

Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) assembly member Timothy Gaston accused O’Neill of being the “first minister of lawlessness” over her role in the street protests.

O’Neill replied: “I am the first minister of what is right.”

She added that “we won’t need to AI it” – a reference to a TUV councillor who posted online an AI image which exaggerated the size of a loyalist rally in Portadown.

DUP assembly member Jonathan Buckley questioned whether O’Neill would “accept and abide by the lawful decision of the courts” when appeal court judges make a ruling on the parade dispute.



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